1973 American Samoan constitutional referendum

American Samoan ballot measure April 2023 November 6, 1973 American Samoa 1,097 2,097 A constitutional referendum was held in American Samoa on November 6, 1973.Samoans Turn Down New Constitution The New York Times, 11 November 1973 Voters were asked to whether they approved of a new constitution,Samoans reject constitution Pacific Islands Monthly, December 1973, p6 The new constitution provided for the direct election of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, a doubling of the salaries for members of the Fono,Turning point for American Samoans Pacific Islands Monthly, December 1973, p21 issuing government bonds to raise money, and decentralizing some powers to counties and villages. As with the previous referendum in 1972, the proposals were rejected, with 34% in favor and 66% against. Results The new constitution was expected to be approved, but was rejected by nearly two-thirds of voters.There were reasons enough why A. Samoans went conservative Pacific Islands Monthly, January 1974, p41 1097 2097 6435 PIM Aftermath An identical measure on directly electing the Governor would be put before voters two more times in 1974 and August 1976 until it was approved in November 1976. References Category:Referendums in American Samoa Constitutional American Samoa A